Denture care is one of the most essential steps in preventing gum disease. Gum disease can lead to tooth loss and other health issues like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Dentures are a common and vital dentistry tool dentists use to repair tooth damage, fill cavities or even replace missing teeth. Dentures play a considerable role in maintaining oral health by stimulating the gums around them. Taking a few simple steps each day can help prevent gum disease from happening.
Brush your teeth twice a day
Dental plaque is the dentist's enemy. It is a sticky bacterium that sticks to teeth and gums. Plaque can cause harm by causing tooth decay or gum disease. Brushing your dentures twice a day helps aid in denture care and prevent gum disease by:
- Improving the durability of your dentures
- Reducing bad breath
- Improving oral hygiene
Brushing your dentures will remove the plaque buildup before damage occurs, making it easier for dentists to work with. It's necessary to also clean dentures daily with a denture cleaner or denture solution. Dentures should be cleaned after each meal and before bedtime. You can soak dentures at night in a small glass of denture cleaner or denture solution to help remove food particles that have been collected in your denture during the day.
Floss at least once a day
Flossing is also crucial if you have dentures. Flossing prevents food from clogging between the denture and gum. Flossing your dentures helps aid in denture care and prevent gum disease by:
- Helping alleviate sore throats.
- Helping prevent bad breath.
- Creating a smooth surface for eating
Flossing will also remove plaque buildup on the teeth of your dentures, which helps prevent gum disease. Food caught between dentures can lead to plaque and bacteria that cause bad breath. Not only does it cause bad breath, but you may develop pockets of blood and pus beneath your dentures. Flossing helps to remove bits of food and bacteria that can cause gum disease.
Get regular dental checkups.
Dental checkups should be done at least every six months. During your checkup, dentists will remove food and plaque from your dentures. They will also polish the dentures to remove any stains or marks. Getting your dentures checked regularly by a dentist helps aid in denture care and prevent gum disease by:
- Checking for chips and repairs, as well as loose teeth
- Ensuring proper fitment of dentures to patient’s mouth
- Giving patients peace of mind knowing their denture care is being taken care of
Dentists will be able to tell if you're doing a good job of cleaning your dentures by looking for an even white color on the denture as well as no redness around your dentures. If dentists find that your dentures are not cleaned properly, they will likely show you how to clean them. They may take impressions of your dentures as well. An impression is a plaster cast that dentists make of the denture teeth and gums. The dentures can be made smaller or larger, based on the impression taken at your last dental appointment.
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Denture Care
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